Spryfield Farmers Market turns to tokens for convenience, food security - Action News
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Nova Scotia

Spryfield Farmers Market turns to tokens for convenience, food security

A small farmers market in the Spryfield area of Halifax has a new token program. Organizers hope to allow people who have trouble affording fresh food to shop at the market, and make it more convenient for shoppers who show up without cash on hand.

Small wooden tokens to be treated like $5 bills by vendors

The Spryfield Farmers Market takes place every two weeks from May to October. (Submitted by Patti Clark)

A small farmers market in the Spryfield area of Halifax has come up with a program organizers hope will help solve twoproblems in the community.

The first goal is to allow people who have trouble affording fresh food to shop at the market. The second goal is to make it more convenient for shoppers who show up at the farmers market without cash on hand.

"As a vendor at a market, you've always got people going, 'Oh, I didn't bring any cash,'"said Patti Clark, the Spryfield Farmers Market manager. "We're trying to make it more convenient for people."

With the market's newtokensprogram, people can go to the market staff with their credit cards or debit cards to buy small wooden tokens about the size of a toonie. All of the vendors at the market treat the tokens the same way as a $5 bill, giving change in cash.

Chris Musgrave, the owner of Mount Denson Blueberry Farm, saidhe thinks the program is a good idea. It's common for people to come to the farmers markets he attends with largebills or no cash at all. He isn't able to accept plastic.

Wooden market tokens can be used like $5 bills at the Spryfield Farmers Market. (Submitted by Patti Clark)

"The last market I attended in Prospect, I was asked if I could take an e-transfer. I don't even own a cell phone, so I had to say no," he said.

The Spryfield token program started a week ago.

Musgrave, who also sells products for other neighbouring Hantsport farms,said someone used the tokens to purchase20 pounds of meatat a cost of $80.

Shane Gerrits, the owner of Odds and Herbs vegetable farm, said he received about $30 worth of tokensduring the first week.

"I'm hoping to see more use of them as the season goes," he said.

Fundraiser

While anyone can use the tokens for convenience, Clark also wants them to serve another purpose in the future.

She's fundraising to donate $1,000 of tokens each month to the two food banks run by the St. Paul's Family Resources Institute for distribution to their clients.

St. Paul's United Church is the location for the market that takes place every two weeks from May to October. Clark recognizes that many people on a low income live nearby but aren't able shop at the market.

Vendors sell items including produce, meat, eggs, baked goods and crafts at the market. (Submitted by Patti Clark)

"These are people that wouldn't normally come to the market because, well, they can't afford it," she said. "They wouldn't normally feel welcome, and that's so wrong."

Kristen Hollery is the community ministry director at St. Paul's and manages the food banks. She thinks the program will be a popular one with the 150 people who access them.

"It gives people the right to be able to choose to buy what they want," she said. "We don't alwaysat the food bankhave what people need or want ... we only have what people donate to us. So, this gives people the ability to go and be able to choose."

Hollery said it's significant for peoples' dignity that there will be no way to tell who is using a token for convenience and who is using a token because they received it through the food bank.